Military personnel control sophisticated systems, experience extraordinary stress, and are subject to injury of the brain. To address these challenges, DARPA seeks innovative neurotechnology and advanced understanding of the brain using a multidisciplinary approach that combines data processing, mathematical modeling, and novel interfaces. The Restoring Active Memory (RAM) program is part of a broader portfolio of programs within DARPA that support President Obama’s brain initiative.
According to the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center, since 2000, more than 270,000 military servicemembers have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury (TBI). TBI frequently results in impairment and dysfunction of memory, including the ability to retrieve memories formed prior to injury and to form or retain memories of new experiences following injury. Despite the scale of the problem, no effective therapies currently exist to mitigate the long-term consequences of TBI on memory. Through the Restoring Active Memory (RAM) program, DARPA seeks to explore how it might address this deficit and possibly begin to help servicemembers suffering from TBI overcome loss of motor memories by bridging gaps in the injured brain.
The specific end goal of RAM is to develop and test an implantable neural device for human clinical use to restore specific types or attributes of memories to individuals with memory deficits. As a foundation, DARPA plans to develop models of how neurons code for declarative memory, which is knowledge that can be consciously recalled, including events, times, and places. Researchers will also explore new methods for analysis and decoding of neural signals in humans to understand how neural stimulation could be applied to facilitate recovery of memory encoding following brain injury. “Encoding” refers to the process by which newly learned information is attended to and processed by the brain when first encountered.
If successful, RAM will improve quality of life for brain-injured servicemembers and veterans thorough the use of neurotechnology that restores specific types of memories that had been lost to injury.
RAM and related DARPA neuroscience efforts are informed and advised by an Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications (ELSI) panel. ELSI panelists supplement the oversight provided by DARPA and DoD internal review boards that govern human and animal use.
According to the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center, since 2000, more than 270,000 military servicemembers have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury (TBI). TBI frequently results in impairment and dysfunction of memory, including the ability to retrieve memories formed prior to injury and to form or retain memories of new experiences following injury. Despite the scale of the problem, no effective therapies currently exist to mitigate the long-term consequences of TBI on memory. Through the Restoring Active Memory (RAM) program, DARPA seeks to explore how it might address this deficit and possibly begin to help servicemembers suffering from TBI overcome loss of motor memories by bridging gaps in the injured brain.
The specific end goal of RAM is to develop and test an implantable neural device for human clinical use to restore specific types or attributes of memories to individuals with memory deficits. As a foundation, DARPA plans to develop models of how neurons code for declarative memory, which is knowledge that can be consciously recalled, including events, times, and places. Researchers will also explore new methods for analysis and decoding of neural signals in humans to understand how neural stimulation could be applied to facilitate recovery of memory encoding following brain injury. “Encoding” refers to the process by which newly learned information is attended to and processed by the brain when first encountered.
If successful, RAM will improve quality of life for brain-injured servicemembers and veterans thorough the use of neurotechnology that restores specific types of memories that had been lost to injury.
RAM and related DARPA neuroscience efforts are informed and advised by an Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications (ELSI) panel. ELSI panelists supplement the oversight provided by DARPA and DoD internal review boards that govern human and animal use.